NEW YORK - On Wednesday, February 8, beginning at 4 p.m., Columbia will host NYU, Sacred Heart and Vassar in the Historical Meet Plus in Columbia's Dodge Physical Fitness Center.

The meet will be Columbia's first in more than two weeks and will serve as a litmus test before the Lions compete at this weekend's Ivy League Championships.

HOME, SWEET, HOME

Wednesday's meet will be Columbia's lone home meet of the season and the first time Columbia has hosted a fencing meet since the Lions hosted the same three teams in February 2010.

FAMILIAR FENCING FOES

Columbia has met NYU, Sacred Heart and Vassar in a series with NYU that dates back to the early 20th century. All four teams have squared off in an early February meet for the last seven years. The series added even more familiarity this year when Michael Aufrichtig took the reins of the Columbia program. Aufrichtig is a 1994 graduate of NYU, where he fenced epee for four years.

SEOUNG WOO LEE JOINS COLUMBIA STAFF

Columbia recently hired Seoung Woo Lee as a foil/epee fencing coach to join head coach Michael Aufrichtig's staff. Formerly the head coach of the Korean National Senior Women's Foil team, Lee has extensive coaching experience with junior and cadet foil and epee students. Lee was most recently a coach at the Fencers Club and Peter Westbrook Foundation in New York City. Coaching epee and foil, he has coached a number of Olympic medalists and World champions. Prior to coaching in New York, Lee coached in his native South Korea and led the Korean National Women's Foil team from 2005-06.

LAST TIME OUT

In its last meet at the NYU Duals on January 22, the Columbia women won three of five matches. The Lions defeated Northwestern, Wayne State and defending national champion Notre Dame. The men won just one of five matches against some of the nation's best, defeating Wayne State. Alen Hadzic went 10-5 to pace the men at NYU and Loweye Diedro won 12 of 15 bouts on the women's side to lead the Lions.

A day earlier, the Columbia men defeated St. John's and Notre Dame at the St. John's Super Cup. The Columbia women also posted significant victories at St. John's, winning bouts against Harvard and Penn State.